Hands On September 2011

HoverTech Evacuation HoverJack

Evacuation of a hospital is an operation often takes days, rather than minutes. The EF-5 tornado that struck St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo., on May 22 gave the staff just minutes to move patients to safety before major parts of the building collapsed. The Evacuation HoverJack from HoverTech International affords hospitals and EMS an alternative to wheeled stretchers in the movement of patients who need to remain supine. The device is an inflatable mattress that can be fully inflated to bed or stretcher height so the patient can be laterally transferred onto it. The safety straps and foot-end pouch hold the patient securely, while the bottom’s Teflon-coated surface allows for easy transport to the nearest stairwell. The upper chambers can then be deflated to allow the attending caregivers to easily slide the device and patient down the stairs to safety.

BOMImed Flexible Laryngoscope Blades

The debate over prehospital intubation is far from settled. EMS workers often have to perform this skill in less than ideal conditions on a patient they don’t know—and many of these cases would fall into the “difficult” intubation category if they were being performed in an operating room. Flexible Laryngoscope Blades from BOMImed are another option for your difficult intubation toolkit. Designed with a flexible, levered tip, these blades assist in displacing the epiglottis with the simple squeeze of a lever located on the laryngoscope handle. The blades are available in fiberoptic or LED illumination.

Xplore Technologies iX10c5 Tablet PC

The evolution of computing continues to make Star Trek look like technological prophecy instead of science fiction. Watching the crew use electronic clipboards on Star Trek: The Next Generation at a time when most EMS departments had one or two desktop computers (if any) made me wonder how long we’d have to wait for a real field computer. The iX10c5 Tablet PC from Xplore Technologies takes Tablet PC technology and places it in a frame that's truly designed for the rigors of EMS. Although it’s splash submersible and dust tight, it isn’t designed for underwater use. Meeting the MIL-STD-810G, IP67 and HazLoc-Certified requirements, the iX10c5 is tested to a 7' operating drop, including a 4' drop to concrete.

Shadow Buddies Foundation Rescue Buddies

Comfort for Kids Clinically, a strong cry from a pediatric patient is a good sign. But that sign can be mighty annoying during a long transport. And it’s a good bet that the patient is anxious even when they’re not crying. EMS providers have given teddy bears and other toys to help calm this anxiety for years. Rescue Buddies from the Shadow Buddies Foundation are another alternative to store-bought stuffed animals. The buddy comes with a special blanket to help comfort the child in need. Rescue workers are often seen in the eyes of a child as “heroes.” The Rescue Buddy also comes with a Sharpie magic marker, so the EMS crew can autograph the buddy and it can stay with that child for a lifetime.

TriTech Software Fusion Online ePCR

When you consider that the first patient care paperwork for many ambulance services was an index card with basic demographic information and a check box for oxygen, the modern electronic patient care report (ePCR) seems like you’re writing a short story. The new Fusion Online ePCR from TriTech Software has the features that the field providers care about, especially ease of use. There isn’t a database backup required, which managers appreciate. And fully encrypted online Web sessions limit security worries. All software updates are automatically applied without the need to update each computer on a network. In fact, you don’t have to worry about a network at all. And any computer with broadband Internet access can be used to log into the system.

Retractable Technologies Vanish Point IV

One job risk EMS personnel have to worry about more than other healthcare workers is getting stuck with a contaminated needle. It’s easier to be safe with sharps when the surface you’re standing on isn’t moving. Unfortunately, we often have to cannulate people thrashing about or while our ambulance is moving. Vanish Point IV catheters and syringes from Retractable Technologies have a feature in which a spring automatically pulls the needle back into the flash chamber or syringe barrel. The plunger on the syringe separates to allow the needle to retract, and the IV needle retracts without the need to push a button.

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Organized ACLS The 2010 ACLS Guidelines have greatly streamlined the basic algorithm for cardiac arrest. Science supports the focus on high-quality CPR and early defibrillation. So a greatly decreased emphasis on administering a wide variety of medications in the first 10 minutes of a cardiac arrest has left many ALS providers waiting for the two-minute rhythm checks. ArrestPAC from Innovative Resuscitation Solutions organizes the medications you need to treat v-fib, v-tach, asystole and PEA into a simple, instructive and flexible nylon bag, which can be quickly deployed at a patient’s side. Medications are organized by arrhythmia and laid out in order of administration. Now you just have to open the ArrestPAC, identify the rhythm and then administer the drugs in the order they’re arranged.